Mercurial Rhythm
by Aeria
Summary: After their little stint in World War II London, Rose, the Doctor and Jack make a little detour resulting in some unexpected runins, conversations and revelations. Chapter Nine Up!
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Mercurial Rhythm  
**Chapter:** One  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.  
**Pairings/Spoilers:** The Doctor(9)/Rose, OC (Not a Mary-Sue, I hope) and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N:** Okay, this is the **untitled epic** though obviously my beta finally came up with a brilliant name for it. This after she'd spent days and days endlessly trying to fix up a thoroughly broken fic. Now it's all better and I'm rather happy with it. There are a lot of chapters, but I hope you're not put off because they are all finished and will probably be posted daily. So, thank you to everyone who reviewed the now finished (I think) **Chemistry** series and a bigger thank you to **saganmidreams** for working so hard on this.

**_Chapter One_**

Prior to discovering otherwise, Rose had been rather glad the Doctor couldn't dance. They'd had a fantastic adventure and, on a whim, she'd decided to attempt an exploration of the 'moves' the Doctor had so proudly claimed to possess. He had been so happy when they'd returned to the TARDIS, high as a kite and his mood hadn't faltered when she told him they had to rescue Jack.

She'd asked him once more to show her his moves. He'd smiled, done his thing with the TARDIS and seconds later they were standing uncomfortably as he fumblingly tried to lead. Despite the awkwardness, in the half minute between being grabbed clumsily and Jack realizing there was a blue box parked in his ship, there was electricity sparking between them.

He'd tried to twist her, or something, and it went terribly wrong, his hand ending up on the small of her back, dangerously close to her backside, her own arm twisted behind her. She pulled away at the jolting movement and yelped, perhaps a little too curtly, "Okay…okay, try and spin me again, but this time don't get my arm up my back. No extra points for a half-nelson."

She couldn't help but smile a little at the Doctor's look of confusion over his own inability. When he welcomed Jack with a sarcastic jibe, Rose, in retaliation to the Doctor's bad manners, decided to get a bit of her own back.

She was seriously worried about her lack of attraction to Jack. When she'd first met him, the logical side of her brain told her straight out that he had potential. Funny, romantic, good looking, a hero and he seemed genuinely nice, even if he had later proved to be both completely up himself and a conman. The other side, the bit that was irrational and unpredictable, took one look at the Captain and muttered something suspiciously like 'Not the Doctor,' and chucked out the idea of Jack as anything more than a friend.

But none of that was going to stop her _flirting_ with him. She liked him and she liked flirting. There was music, and she already knew he could dance. With a wicked grin, she invited him to cut in.

In reality, the Doctor was a fairly decent dancer; after 900 years it made sense he'd be proficient. Despite this, dancing with Rose was not something he wanted to try. Every time she held his hand his hearts started pounding; every time she hugged him his knees almost buckled. He dared not imagine what her arms around his neck and her hips swaying against his could feel like. But she kept pushing him. Having run out of distractions, he'd decided he'd best put her off his dancing for good.

But then Jack, smooth-talking, super-suave Captain Jack, had weaseled his way onto the TARDIS and the smoldering emotion the Doctor had bemusedly identified as jealously flared into life. If the Doctor didn't do something Rose was going to dance with Jack, her new playboy. With the flick of a switch and a deep breath, the Doctor bounced towards the pair. "Rose, I've just remembered." 

"What?" She looked at him for what seemed the first time since Jack has swaggered in.

"I can dance." He bounced a little more. "I can dance." A wide grin swept over his features as he clicked his fingers in time with the music and bounded over.

Rose looked like a fit of giggles was barely being kept at bay, but he wasn't put off - he knew how good he was. "Actually, Doctor, I thought Jack might like this dance," she explained, slightly patronizing, which he really didn't think he deserved.

Sod that, the Doctor thought and quipped in return, "I'm sure he would, Rose, I'm absolutely certain. But who with?"

A muffled giggle escaped her but she walked, without further hesitation, into his arms. He was suddenly grateful for the upbeat music; it hid the upsurge in his heartbeat the moment his hand grasped hers. The earlier sparks had transformed into rivers of electricity, coursing through his body.

God, but she was beautiful. Not just in the silly human scope of the word; she was so much more. From the first time she'd challenged him, thinking quicker than he as she recognized the London Eye as the transmitter, then raced alongside him, headlong into danger, he'd known she didn't really fit into that twentieth century world. He'd known she was a rarity amongst the mediocrity, a lovely being not worthy of the planet. He swayed while resisting the urge to pull her closer to him, just to feel her against him again.

Until she saw him glance at Jack, Rose honestly believed the Doctor's new-found ability was just that. Glancing at Jack herself, she noticed he looked highly amused and just a little put out. She saw in the Doctor's eyes an unidentifiable emotion, shading them greener before it melted away into something close to delight.

Rose came to two conclusions as she danced across the TARDIS. One, the Doctor really was experiencing Captain Envy. Two, he could definitely dance and he'd tried to hide it from her, even after he'd bragged about his moves.

Being twirled across the floor of the greatest space and time ship that had ever existed by a man who was so impressive (though she'd never tell him so), and being a girl with her priorities in the right order, she filed her conclusions away for later consideration.

He was talented, not in the way people on television are talented, gliding effortlessly and doing amazing lifts and such, but those few minutes of dancing were the most alive she could ever remember feeling. His grin and the pressure of his hand wrapped around her own, the gentle touch at the curve of her waist as he maneuvered around the consoles and wires, separating from her fully at one point only to rejoin still perfectly in synch. 

And then he did something she didn't expect. As the music peaked he deftly positioned his leg behind her, dipping her down over it and sending her hair flying; turning her whole world upside down. She let out a shriek of excitement, both from the suddenness of the movement and her giddiness at the fascinating feeling of resting safely in the curve of the Doctor's body. And then, just as suddenly as he had begun he pulled her back up, the music was gone and she, not prepared to lose the contact or the resulting blissful feelings, let out a contented sigh and a giggle and draped her neck over his shoulder, never once letting go of his hands.

She did catch the look of triumph the Doctor flashed towards Jack, however, and added it to her list of things to consider. 

_Jesus Christ_, was all Jack could think; what on earth had he gotten himself into? When he'd met Rose he'd been interested in her; when he'd laid eyes on the Doctor, he'd been interested in him. After about three seconds in their combined presence he'd doubted he had any chance with either of them. Now, adrenaline-filled hours later, watching them dance, he was absolutely certain he had no hope. It wasn't what they were doing but how they were doing it and the free flow of emotions filtering over their faces.

Yep, they were so far head over heels in love with each other Jack knew he had more chance of having a rewarding relationship with a fried chicken than of getting anything other than platonic out of these two.

The Doctor sent him a grinning look of ownership as he pulled Rose back into his arms. Jack didn't have to be told twice not to touch, especially when the one doing the telling was a Time Lord. He quickly decided that he could, at a maximum, indulge in a little harmless flirtation and that it would have to be divided between them in equal measure. Not that it would be any great hardship. He'd accepted that, as potential lovers, they were both useless, but he wasn't about to give up flirting all together.

It was odd; as far as he could tell the pair in front of him had, on a physical level at least, a strictly companionable relationship. He couldn't believe that with so much tension they hadn't at least shared a kiss, which he was sure would have quickly led to a whole lot more. Briefly, he wondered which of them was to blame and then decided he'd have to ask Rose about it. Rose, because he was pretty sure asking the Doctor would result in him stranded somewhere.

He was struck suddenly by the thought that playing matchmaker to these two totally oblivious but besotted fools could be highly entertaining; upon further contemplation, he realized he was rather looking forward to it. If he could just get them to act, they might be inclined to avoid situations of almost-certain death. Not to mention, with access to all of history's most decadent and luxurious resorts, he might be able to find some more accommodating companionship.

_Tell me what you think, I'm desperate for feedback after working on this for so long…this is me begging for reviews. I loves them._


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Mercurial Rhythm  
**Chapter:** Two  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.  
**Pairings/Spoilers:** The Doctor(9)/Rose, OC (Not a Mary-Sue, I hope) and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter two, I'm glad you liked it. I'd link it, but I'm about to dash off to dinner. Thanks once again to **saganmidreams** for working so hard on this. Enjoy it.

**_Chapter Two_**

Having recovered from their stint in the London Blitz, the Doctor and Rose were happy to detour from their exploration of 'a hundred ways to almost die but rescue each other at the last minute'. Even the Doctor got sick of saving the universe without a break and after their recent spate of excitement he felt they deserved a bit of indulgence, a plan that Rose wholeheartedly approved.

The TARDIS dropped them flawlessly onto the surface of a planet in the Luciana system, some 120 thousand years from World War Two London. Leaping from his ship, the Doctor quickly spun so he could watch his companions' reactions to the spectacular view. He had never taken Rose there and was fairly certain it would be new to Jack, given the system's relative obscurity.

His grin widened as an incredulous gasp escaped Rose's throat at the sight of the deep purple sky stretching out over the scattered houses and buildings, its pure color reflected on the surface of the pristine white ground. Jack's reaction wasn't as expressive, but even his cynical nature couldn't completely conceal his surprise at the beauty of their surrounds. The Doctor had been to this planet many times before and knew he would always be affected by it.

"Is that snow?" Rose asked disbelievingly. She wasn't anywhere near cold enough for it to be snow, having at the Doctor's observation that "it'll be hot out" only put on light clothing. The white carpet beneath her feet was the first thing that had caught her eye when she stepped out. She'd taken in the sky and the half-light that shrouded the bizarre city, but she couldn't stop staring in confusion at the snow. The snow itself was nothing new to her, she'd even experienced Paris in winter, but the balmy summer temperature and the white snow under foot were insanely contradictory.

"Yep. Snow." The Doctor grinned at her expression of utter bafflement.

"But how can it be snow?" 

The Doctor looked up and they followed his gaze to the purple sky in which a pair of deep red suns were just appearing over the horizon. "Really cold nights because the atmosphere only goes a few hundred meters up." He looked back to their feet. "Watch."

Both Jack and Rose dropped to a crouch to watch the snow quickly begin to melt away, the tiny crystals liquefying before their very eyes. It reminded Rose of the movies that used sped up images of icicles melting to signify the passing of time, but this was even more incredible because it was real and happening right in front of her. 

The Doctor watched them, enjoying their fascination, but when they just kept staring at the ground, showing no sign of moving, he started to get restless. "Come on, then," he called to them, deliberately splashing through the puddles and disappearing around a corner. Rose and Jack exchanged a glance and then shot off after him.

As they wandered, he explained everything he could about the little planet they'd touched down on, from the completely mismatched architecture and the strange trees that lined the streets to the lack of people.

"You see, it's sort of like the ultimate utopia, except realistically. There's still crime, but you do something wrong and you get sent off. One chance is the only chance. So, everyone who lasts long enough here to build a house gets to do it just like they want to. Take that one over there." He pointed out a house that looked like it had been built inside out. All the furniture was on the outside, the walls just a misshapen cross of vertical metal. The large shape on what was presumably a bed snorted and rolled over, apparently unconcerned at being the focus of their attention. Rose gaped at the unusual structure as the Doctor continued to explain.

Three houses down was a large expanse of land dominated by what had to be a tree house, nestled in the branches of a giant oak. _Well_, Rose thought, _obviously not an actual oak_, since ridged brown bark had been replaced with something smooth and blue and the leaves were shades of white. Rose hadn't realized there could even be shades of white. When questioned, the Doctor muttered, "Something about backwards chlorophyll" before he pulled them along.

In fact, backwards chlorophyll made sense. Rose thought she remembered her extremely cute science teacher explaining that trees were green because of the chlorophyll and here, all the trees glistened blue and white. It was rather beautiful really and she wondered how much pleading she'd have to do to get the chance to see the trees against the snow of the night.

"Where are all the people?" she queried, skipping to catch up with the Doctor and Jack as she realized she'd been left behind in front of the tree house.

"Ah," he answered, looking at her knowingly, reiterating his supposed impressiveness with the expression. "Because of the drastic climate of the night, there's a general consensus that no one gets up before, oh," he glanced at his watch, "another fifteen minutes."

And sure enough, fifteen minutes later, with the two red suns higher in the sky and the temperature quickly moving into what Rose considered to be 'hot', doors banged open and every imaginable creature emerged. Many of them carried baskets or pushed carts, all heading in the same direction.

Having been jostled by several of the varied creatures, and pretty sure that the squat grey one had grabbed his ass, Jack tucked in behind the Doctor and Rose. "Where are they all going?"

The Doctor just grinned and continued to move with the flow of the street's occupants, the houses getting taller and the streets narrower.

When they finally reached their destination most of the market was already set up and bustling. Never in her life had Rose's senses been quite so overwhelmed. The air was growing thick with heat and humidity, wisps of something rubbing against her skin in a teasing, smoky manner. She was glad she'd taken the Doctor's advice and worn a lose tank top and left her jacket behind.

The marketplace itself seemed to contain every sight and sound in the universe, colors she didn't know existed and a surreal mixture of a hundred species conversing and a thousand products rattling against each other creating a harmony she couldn't have guessed at.

And the smells, the smells were the worst, or the best, depending on your point of view. They were so potent that she could almost taste them, spices and plants and flowers all mixed together to make the indefinable smell of the biggest marketplace she'd ever seen. 

Even Jack seemed impressed, his jaw dropping as he took in the endless flood of stalls before them.

"You two be alright by yourselves for a while?" the Doctor asked.

Rose looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

He just grinned at her, shoving something into her hands. "Here's enough to last you a few hours; I'll find you when I'm done." With that he was gone, walking off into the crowd.

The pouch he'd handed Rose was full of expensive stones, but it wasn't their value that captured his imagination; it was the image of Rose wearing one. The image was fuzzy as he never could find a way for Rose and the stone to complement each other, both being in their own right individually beautiful. Together they should have been incredible, but he couldn't get it right. Craning his neck to watch her as he walked away, he shook the half-formed picture from his thoughts, relegating the stones' place to simply something she would spend.

Back near the entrance to the marketplace, Jack looked at Rose, and Rose looked back at Jack. "You'd think he'd know by now that whenever he's not here to hold my hand I end up putting at least an entire race into jeopardy." Her grin made it clear she wasn't serious.

"Yeah, you'd think he would have worked that out. But what's the worst that could happen?" Jack replied, playing along.

She just raised an eyebrow and handed over the little leather pouch. Hands freed, she swept her hair off her face and tied it back, trying to keep its heat from her neck. She watched as Jack opened the bag, glancing in.

Bemused, he held out the bag for her to inspect. "They're Borkdill rocks."

Rose screwed up her face at the strange name. "What are we s'posed to do with Borkdill rocks?"

He raised an eyebrow at her then, remembering she wasn't around for the discovery of the Bork system, he pulled one out one of the rocks and placed it in her hand, watching as surprise then delight flittered across her face as the little jagged rock glowed mauve-white and warmed her skin. "Quite rare and worth a fortune most places. Don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, a rock by its name."

Grinning from ear to ear, she continued to watch the small rock, hiding it in her hands to see just how much purple light it was fluorescing. Jack continued, "I doubt there's such a thing as money here, just bartering, and these we can barter with. Anything you want you can get with these. Surely he doesn't want us to use them though? They're worth quite a bit."

Rose just smiled mischievously and took the pouch from him, slipping the Borkdill rock back in. "Or maybe he does," Jack amended, answering her grin with one of his own. Shopping with what was effectively unlimited credit did have a certain appeal.

She nodded in response, replied, "Off we go then," and moved off into the bustle of the marketplace.

_Thanks for all the reviews, I hope this keeps you interested and I shall look foward to more lovely reviews._


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Mercurial Rhythm  
**Chapter:** Three  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.  
**Pairings/Spoilers:** The Doctor(9)/Rose and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter two, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks once again to **saganmidreams** for the betaing.

Chapter One  
Chapter Two

**Chapter Three**

Three hours later there was no sign of the Doctor but having encountered no truly dangerous situations, they weren't really worried. In fact, other than Jack trying to pick up what turned out to be neither male nor female, but rather some sort of teapot and resultantly being chased around by a rather large man who spent the best part of ten minutes throwing teacups at the pair, they'd actually been rather jeopardy free.

Walking through the section evidently dedicated to supplying aliens with all manner of hair brushes (Rose didn't even want to think about the hair some of the overly large or overly weird combs must have been for), Jack finally caught onto the sideways glances she'd been sending him all morning.

"What?" he queried.

"I was just wondering what your plan is." He raised an eyebrow but didn't move to interrupt. "I mean, a few days ago you tried to con me and the Doctor and now we're letting you travel with us. I just want your word there's no ulterior motive here." She didn't really believe what she was saying, there was a gut feeling that told her Jack was the right kind of person, but she was intrigued to know more about him.

He caught on that she wasn't completely serious when she flashed him a smile. "I'm here for the adventure. Just like you. And anyway, you'll find me to be very loyal."

"Yeah," she scoffed, unable to help herself. "When it's worth your while."

"Of course, and what could be better than traveling in that ship with you two?"

Falling silent, Rose realized just why that gut feeling was there: Jack reminded her of one of her old friends, Billy. He'd left England when they were both sixteen and they'd lost touch. But she'd missed him, she'd always viewed him like a brother. With an internal groan, she noted that this really did ruin all hope of relieving any tension of a sexual nature with Jack, now that he reminded her of someone who'd effectively been her substitute brother.

"What?" Jack was feeling a little off-balance. Rarely, in fact, pretty much never, had he found himself interested in a woman (or man, for that matter) that he didn't plan to bed, but Rose was intriguing; she was fun without being a possible sexual conquest. How peculiar.

"Just thinking," she mused, looping her arm through his. It felt right. At the look Jack was giving her she continued, "I think we're going to be good friends."

Before he could help it he broke into a grin, pulling her closer to him and bumping shoulders. "Yeah, me too." Uninvited, the fact that this little development probably wouldn't please the Doctor entered his mind, followed by the reminder that he was supposed to be trying to find out just what the deal was between his two traveling companions and their complete lack of intelligence when it came to undoubtedly brilliant sex.

Turning yet another corner, the two were faced with a decision: to the right, a long straight road led off, metal glinting and the smell of oil and grease permeating the air. Jack could almost taste the technology, the super fast teleporters, the flashy guns. To the left, a curvy lane, laced with shops filled with all manner of girly clothing and accessories.

Rose looked to Jack, pleading written all over her face, her best puppy dog eyes expertly in place.

Jack looked ready to argue, to explain that girls clothing (unless he was removing it) was nowhere near as much fun as guns and teleporters. The words died on his lips as he saw he had no chance in hell of winning. He just sighed and nodded, following her as she dragged him by the arm into the very first shop. He hung his head, half disgusted at his weakness and half excited at the prospect of what could possibly exist in such a foreign place.

Over the following hours they ended up buying all manner of things, quickly finding the Borkdill stones to be worth just as much as Jack had thought. Worth so much, in fact, that soon they'd ran out of small ones and were lugging along parcels of things they hadn't actually wanted but that they'd been forced to take when the normally mercenary stall holders couldn't inflate their prices enough to use up the value of the stones.

Of course, there were several instances in which it didn't go exactly to plan; at one stage, rounding a corner they came to what Jack discretely described to Rose as "The Western Daviidi sex trade," but looked more like a giant jelly wrestling match. Then there was the shopkeeper who insisted that the tiny Borkdill they gave him was worth not just the spiky silver earrings Rose wanted, but also six studded collars of varying design. One of which Jack insisted Rose wear for at least a few minutes, which had earned her several interesting looks, two of which she swore were far too flirtatious.

Perhaps the most interesting run-in of the day, however, was with a giant brown slime heap. Rose jumped back and swore as she walked into the back of it. She was surprised to say the least when Jack yanked her back, saving her by only seconds as the slime turned around, opened its eyes and spat an even slimier article towards her.

How she'd been expected to recognize a Trahuley nobleman and avoid walking into him she wasn't sure, but amidst the hustle and bustle, the thousands of bodies pressing around them and the difficulty of hauling their bags, even Jack wasn't prepared to berate her about it, though he did take a rather long time to tell her she still had a marble sized gob stuck to her neck. 

As they turned into yet another aisle of stalls, Rose's eyes lit up. Across the aisle, about three stores up, a tiny little table lay between two giant jewelry showrooms. Behind the table was an alien with green skin, two arms more than Rose was used to and an adorable look of dedicated concentration on his face. He was holding some sort of necklace up to the sun and even from her distance she could tell it was special, just from the way it glimmered in the sunlight.

She noticed that behind the table and the shopkeeper lay all manner of machinery, some of which she vaguely knew to be that of a jeweler. An idea popped into her head. "Jack," she removed her arm from where it had been looped through his. "Do you think he'd mind if I kept one and had it made it into a necklace or a bracelet or something?"

"Do I think he'd mind?" he asked, unable to keep the small smile from his lips. "No, I don't think he would." Jack tried to imagine the look on the Doctor's face at one of the beautiful glowing rocks displayed against Rose's skin. Great skin, possibly better than his, and he could just imagine the contrast between its porcelain whiteness and the mauve fluorescing stone.

He stopped himself before he started thinking about Rose wearing a necklace of the stones, and only a necklace, and exactly what the Doctor's response to that might be...that would have been slightly voyeuristic.

Peering suspiciously at him, Rose raised an eyebrow and asked, "You sure you're not just trying to get me in trouble? Is it illegal to wear them or something?"

"Nah, not trying to get you in trouble, cross my heart." To emphasize his sincerity, Jack raised a hand and drew a cross over his heart, injecting as much charm as he could into his expression and words.

"Okay, well, I'm going over there to see if I can't get it made now." Jack nodded and wandered to the store opposite. He realized too late that the extensive piercings were not just displayed in glass cases and pictures; several of the inhabitants had their fair share of merchandise already attached.

He cringed, screwing his eyes partially shut as a Cothian stalked towards him. He'd always thought of the Cothians as a race of hippopotamuses that had evolved to walk upright and to talk. This particular hippopotamus-like alien was wearing very tight, very sheer clothing and all the piercings, and that meant all, were on display, some that even Jack wasn't prepared to think too much about. He hurried out ignoring the welcome sent his direction by the Cothian and hid in the moving tide of people near Rose.

She returned to his side short seconds later, looking pleased with herself. "He said yes, should only take him a half hour. And he wouldn't accept one as payment, said that it was ridiculous."

"So what does he want instead?" Jack looked over at the four armed alien who was already working away at a heap of metal wires and shavings, hands flying in the air and his eyes focused in concentration. Instantly suspicious of such generosity, Jack was on guard, his movements more deliberate, his concentration more centered.

"Othelius - that's his name - Othelius asked me to pick up a book for him. It's just a twenty minute walk." That pleading look was back, the puppy dog eyes and a pout as well. "See, to make this, he isn't going to have time for a lunch break, so he won't get a chance to get the book." She paused to see if Jack was going to say no, continuing when he remained silent. "We just have to follow this lane to the end," she pointed straight ahead of them, "then turn left and we'll know when we'd hit the book district. He said it had a huge sign with big red writing. Can't miss it and that he'll call ahead so that the owner will be expecting me."

"Sounds dangerous to me," Jack's tone was a little sarcastic as he weighed up his options.

"I know."

"Okay then, off we go again." They walked off, smiling at the jeweler as they passed, though he hardly even noticed them. His head was already bent low over his table in concentration as he took measurements and readings of the stone he planned on making even more magnificent.

_Thanks for the reviews guys. Keep em coming._


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Mercurial Rhythm  
**Chapter:** Four  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.  
**Pairings/Spoilers:** The Doctor(9)/Rose and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who's reviewed earlier chapters, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks once again to **saganmidreams** for the betaing. Sorry this one's a little late, I had meant to post it before work but I completely forgot.

Chapter One  
Chapter Two  
Chapter Three

**Chapter Four**

Chapter Four

"What's the deal with you and the Doctor anyway," Jack asked casually as they wandered from the chair stalls into a set of shops selling something that looked like black apples.

"He just whisked me away one day from my boring little life and I haven't looked back since."

"Not what I meant," he said without looking at her.

She smiled, biting her lip a bit though still with no idea what she was walking into. The conversation had the taste of playful banter and she always enjoyed that, though she wasn't paying enough attention to the serious, pressing streak in Jack's eyes to realize just how far the banter would take them. "Then what do you mean, Captain Jack?"

He grinned down at her. "Why aren't you two…dancing on a regular basis?"

She looked slightly aghast before turning a deep red and becoming very interested in her own feet. She couldn't believe he'd just asked her that, straight out with no warning; he'd only known her a week.

It had to be the dancing; the actual dancing, not what Jack was talking about. At the time she hadn't realized the rest of the world existed and since then she'd tried not to think about it. But how must it have looked to him? Obviously very, very misleading and unmistakably wrong. Again something inside her gave her a swift kick and told her quite clearly that Jack was a whole lot smarter than her. She liked the Doctor, a lot; she just had to deal with it.

After recovering from the shock wave that rippled through her body at the realization of just how much she felt for the Doctor, she looked back up. For a second, Rose was convinced she'd be able to yell at him and tell him just how wrong he was, but every time her eyes would meet his he'd just give her a knowing look. Eventually she resigned herself to the fact that he was already convinced and denial wouldn't work on him, even if it had worked a treat for her for several months.

Jack watched the flitter of emotions dancing across her face and body. You could always tell a person's bluff from their back: he was fascinated at how she could go from tense to relaxed to sagging so many times in only a minute. He was pulled from his observation when she spoke again.

"That obvious am I?"

He nodded.

"Do you think he knows?"

He shook his head.

"Good."

"Why is that good?" Jack asked.

Rose just looked up at him, still red as a tomato and looking more than a little confused. Everything inside her was in conflict, she felt embarrassed, resentful of Jack pushing her, despair at the hopelessness of it all and yet happy that it was finally out. Not only had she admitted it to herself but also to Jack. Perhaps now she could do something about it, hide it better maybe. "You don't think that him knowing I have a mad crush on him might damage the friendship a little?"

Jack stared back at her, aghast; she wondered if suddenly her nose had fallen off, his expression not making a terrible amount of sense otherwise.

"No." He paused to see her reaction; she seemed incredulous. "I think you'll have the same wonderful friendship but get to sleep with each other as well."

"He's a 900 year old time lord and you think he'd sleep with an old-fashioned, teenage, shop-girl ape?" Moving away from him as her skepticism grew, she placed her hands on her hips and waited for his comeback to that. He was being utterly stupid.

"Yes," Jack spluttered. Was she really that blind? Did she really think that she was so far beneath the Doctor that he couldn't, rather than wouldn't, be interested? How was that even logical? Of all the people through space and time, he'd chosen her to go with him.

He tried to find a way to explain the ridiculousness of her words but couldn't, everything in his head jumbled together until he just blurted, "Do you see him eyeing anything else? Got a girlfriend on board that I haven't met yet?"

"Well, maybe he doesn't need to…" she trailed off; this conversation had quickly become her worst nightmare.

He was angry, and possible a little envious that she could have something so brilliant sitting in front of her and not see it. "Damn, Rose, you really can't see it?" Looking almost as incredulous as she did, he let out a breath, trying to calm himself. This was meant to be easier.

She stared at him a long moment before her eyes focused on something over his shoulder and she let out a sigh of relief. Pushing past him and fleeing into the bookshop, she was happy beyond words to escape the onslaught of difficult questions Jack had been throwing her way.

He wasn't prepared to run in after her but reasoned that if she wasn't out in 30 seconds he could barge in claiming he'd though she was in danger. Standing outside something caught his eye and a self-satisfied smirk planted itself firmly on his face.

Wandering over to the bookshop two down from the one Rose had run into, he took in the metallic designs and silver plated books which were such a stark contrast to the leathery, dusty place Rose was in. One particular volume had caught his eye and he picked it up, turning it over and, with the grin still in place, ran a hand over the smooth, shiny cover. Perfect. His plan was finally in motion and going forwards rather than backwards as Rose seemed intent on forcing it.

He peered over his shoulder, checking to make sure Rose wasn't in sight then pulled out a Borkdill rock from his pocket. The shopkeeper grinned at him broadly, obviously having heard on the grapevine that someone matching Jack's description was trading the precious stones. "How can I help you?"

Jack just continued to grin manically, all the possibilities skipping through his brain. He silently held up the book and placed the stone in the hand on the salesman. Before offers of other books could even be made, Jack said, "Nice doing business," and slipped back out into the street. On the way over to the front of the shop Rose was in, he discretely slipped his purchase into the bag of metal scrap he'd managed to buy, disguising it perfectly and ensuring that Rose wouldn't accidentally come across it.

Rose emerged a minute later, startling Jack who had once again been off with the fairies as he contemplated his latest purchase. She was smiling and blatantly making it clear that their previous conversation was now over. 

"Back to Othelius, then?" Jack questioned through his grin.

Rose nodded and Jack, unable to not be overly gallant and gentlemanly when in such a good mood, offered his arm through which she threaded her own. He even managed to take several of her bags from her, pulling everything into his hand and holding them above the ground by hanging them over his shoulder. She smiled, not complaining in the slightest, and enjoyed the companionable silence that encompassed them until they could see the green alien in the distance.

He was no longer hunched over the table and immediately caught Rose's gaze, waving to her excitedly. She grinned and rushed towards him, eager to see what he had made. Dragging Jack along by their linked arms she expertly threaded her way through the crowds, trying to catch a glimpse of her new necklace as she got closer and closer.

"Get the book?" Othelius asked.

"Yep. You're all finished?"

Othelius's excitement was contagious and her words bubbled over with anticipation.

He nodded but made no move to show her the creation. Pulling the book out, she smiled as he beamed at her and the text; it was wrapped in a flimsy kind of green leafy paper and tied up with string. Taking it from her, he quickly undid it, running his hand over the cover lovingly. "It's a classic with my race, a first edition too. It's my son's tenth birthday today and this is to be his gift. Thank you so much for picking it up for me. I was lucky, it's hard to find and I'm actually rather surprised it wasn't sold by the time you got there. I'm a bit slow, old legs. Really only good for sitting around so I definitely would not have made it." He was babbling in excitement over the book but finally paused, the gratitude showing on his face. "Thank you."

"No problem. I still don't feel like we're even though."

He laughed. "But you haven't even seen my work."

She interrupted him. "I'm sure it's lovely. Here, to make us square, would you like some of these?" she rummaged through her packages and then through several of the ones Jack had, not even noticing as he pulled one bag in particular out of her reach. Eventually, she pulled out a little bag of spiky and uninviting fruit, yet another extra they'd picked up; she'd tried one and it had been far too bitter.

Eyes lighting up, Othelius smiled and carefully took one from the bag. "Thank you."

Rose quickly passed him the entire bag, giving a big grin and asking, "Can I see it then?"

He chuckled quietly and turned to Jack, "I take it you're her…brother?"

Jack raised an eyebrow, slightly insulted. "Yeah, close enough."

"You have a wonderful sister and I think I may have done her justice." Jack just looked unimpressed. To Rose he said, "Close you eyes." 

Othelius was apprehensive, never before had he been given the opportunity to work with a Borkdill stone and such a unique person. From what little he had seen of Rose, he was fascinated. Apart from the combination of blond hair with such fine light skin, which he rarely saw in the Luciana system, she was bubbly, full of life; she was the perfect counterbalance for a Borkdill if he said so himself. He hoped he'd done it right.

She did as she was told and felt two cold hands on her shoulders turning her around and then something scrape against her neck and fingers near the nape as he secured the clasp. She heard Jack's intake of breath, though she couldn't be sure he wasn't just playing around, and heard the jeweler bustle around in front of her. "Open your eyes."

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I am really loving all the feedback, gives me a better idea of what you guys like/dislike. So, keep it coming**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title** Mercurial Rhythm

**Chapter** Five

**Rating** T

**Summary** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.

**Pairings/Spoilers** The Doctor(9)/Rose and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N** Brilliant these reviews are, I just loves them. Here's this one, nice and early. Hope you enjoy it, rather shorter than usual…sorry. But enjoy and review anyway. Thanks to saganmidreams for the betaing.

**Chapter Five**

Her eyes first fell on the shopkeeper who was beaming with pride, then she looked to Jack who was doing his absolute best not to stare and failing miserably. Next she caught sight of herself in the mirror held in front of her and couldn't help but gape at her reflection. The necklace was beautiful, the metal wasn't gold or silver but some sort of deep shimmering green, cut so fine it reminded her of spider silk as it wisped down her neck curling out from the thin chain. It culminated at the hollow between her collarbones where it encircled and supported the Borkdill Rose had previously chosen.

The stone itself was still very much the rough cut it had been when she'd left it, though it seemed to glow the same mauve light even more with the encompassing green and the white of her skin.

Only when she looked up, intent on thanking the little alien jewelry genius, did she catch sight of the Doctor. Standing silent and unmoving only a few feet away, mouth slightly agape, much like hers.

Staring at her, watching her watching him, remembering dancing and his half-formed vision of Rose when he'd left them, his only thought was that it was ruining him, affecting him in ways that he didn't want, ways he wasn't sure he could control. But that Borkdill on her…he was completely astounded at the image, understanding with perfect clarity why he hadn't been able to visualize the current situation. It was simply too incredible. Had he been able to fully realize his vision, it wouldn't have been anything like this. Most things are greater in reality than in the mind and this was so incredible that only in reality could it exist with such perfection - and it was right in front of him.

Some part of him wanted to take her. He couldn't or wouldn't acknowledge just what taking her meant, what he'd do with her or to her, but the voice was so loud he couldn't ignore it and it took all his control not to close the gap between him and touch her. Damn Rose and damn the stones, together they were lethal.

Interrupting his thoughts she asked with childlike excitement, obviously delighted at his open-mouthed reaction, "What do you think?"

He didn't respond and Jack gleefully filled in the gap. "A jewel fit for the beauty that wears it."

That seemed to pull the Doctor from his trance as he shot Jack a wilting glare. "You look beautiful," he said, looking at Rose but not meeting her eyes, a smile playing over his lips, "considering."

Rose just laughed again and, after thanking the shopkeeper profusely, the three headed back towards the TARDIS.

After the first few minutes of good natured banter between Jack and Rose, it was obvious to the Doctor that Jack was smitten with the combination of the necklace and Rose.

Jack was actually smitten with the combination of Rose, the necklace and the Doctor, but he kept it to himself. The Doctor finally recovered enough to see just how much closer the pair had become since he'd left them; Jack's arm was even entwined with Rose's.

He moved up to walk beside Rose. "Bought enough stuff then?"

Looking at him, she just grinned. "Yeah, I think so."

"You do realize that despite her large interior, the TARDIS's insides aren't infinite. You might have to leave something behind."

Jack smiled but didn't interrupt, noting with interest as her arm slipped from his and, switching the bags from one hand to the other, she threaded her fingers through the Doctor's. "Jack and I have already discussed it," Rose said, though Jack had no idea what she was talking about. "We've come to the decision that, if we've got to leave something behind, you're bed is the biggest most useless item on board and it'll be the thing to go."

Ah, thought Jack, he was now a pawn in the continuous banter between the two.

"My bed?" yelped the Doctor "Why should I suffer? I didn't even buy anything."

"You don't even sleep."

"Yes I do," he retorted.

Pulling a face, she raised an eyebrow and retaliated, rather brilliantly with, "Do not."

The Doctor headed straight for the console, flicking switches and making notes of readouts as he checked on his prize possession. Jack, once he'd helped Rose with all her bags, made himself comfortable on the sofa-like chair and started sifting through the packages, separating them into piles, one for him, one for her.

Rose wandered in last and stopped to lean against the console. "How'd you find us, anyway? That place was huge."

"Borkdills, they have a very unique energy pattern, easy to track. Must say you left a bloody good trail, just had to follow them with my sonic screwdriver." He pulled out his tool of choice from his pocket. "Only a few others in the entire marketplace have them and definitely not a huge bag of them."

"Bit drastic," Jack chipped in without looking up. "Could have just phoned. You seem a little over-exuberant in keeping track of Rose." They both ignored him, for entirely different reasons. He just smiled.

"Bit Spock of you, isn't it?" Rose quipped. He didn't respond but knew perfectly well that they were both watching him. When he refused to respond, she asked another question, purposefully taking on the tone used by annoyed girlfriends, mothers, and female friend everywhere when they felt they'd been left out of the loop, "And what exactly were you doing for all that time?"

He just looked up and grinned pointlessly.

"Okay…" Rose knew that look, knew that there was no point in arguing. She opted to just stick out her tongue as she flounced over to Jack and, plonking down beside him, joining in with the sorting.

_Reviews are like…good._


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Mercurial Rhythm

**Chapter:** Six

**Rating:** T

**Summary:** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.

**Pairings/Spoilers:** The Doctor(9)/Rose and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N:** Me again, here's another one, as promised. Thanks for the reviews. And thanks to saganmidreams for the betaing.

**Chapter Six**

Armed with an array of clothes, food, trinkets and things she couldn't categorize, Rose retired to her room. Stowing away her purchases, she flopped onto the bed in exhaustion.

As she slipped into sleep, she realized that six hours in the market, followed by four hours gloating with Jack and teasing the Doctor, made today's antics the biggest, grandest shopping expedition she'd ever experienced.

She woke up several hours later, the lights in her room having turned themselves off and no noises present except for the soothing hum of the TARDIS. She guessed that she still had a couple of hours before she was expected to get up but she wasn't really that tired. She wriggled her toes and stretched, her body feeling rested and relaxed.

Despite the fact that she'd gone to sleep with the necklace on, her neck felt fine and she'd proven to herself that the green metal really was impossible to disfigure. Moving around to lie on her back, her feet sweeping over the bottom half of her bed, she hit something with her foot. She quickly realized that there was something hard and rectangular on the end of her bed that certainly hadn't been there when she'd gone to sleep.

Sitting up she spied what looked like a book that had been dipped in silver paint. She picked it up, tried to open it and found that it seemed welded shut. She turned it over and saw a big red button. If there was one thing television had taught her, it was not to push red buttons, so promptly, she did. A transparent screen lit up in front of her eyes, seeming to stem from the book like a hologram.

On the screen were at least fifty different words, each in a different language, some looked like they could be from earth, Hebrew, French, English, while others didn't look even vaguely familiar. She pointed at the English one and the screen rearranged to what could only be described as a front page.

**The Oxford Guide**

**to the**

**History**

**of**

**Intergalactic Human Relationships**

**Oxford Press**

**London, Earth, 403076**

It took a moment for the title to sink in, it being so long, but once it had she couldn't do much except raise an eyebrow. She pointed to the little star in the bottom right corner of the hologram and immediately the front page dissolved to show the contents page

1.Pre-Intergalactic Years ( 6200)

2.Systematic Exploration (6200-7800)

3.Limited Galactic Exploration (7800-62200)

4.Galactic Exploration (62200-375800)

5.Universal Exploration ( 375800)

She stuck her tongue between her teeth and made herself comfortable, sitting cross-legged in her shorts and camisole and pushing her ruffled hair back behind her ears. She chose the first of the options and three hours later she was almost half way through a chapter in Limited Galactic Exploration. The chapter in question regarded the 58th century phase that all of humanity went through which basically stated that in that particular century it was fashionable to have at least three Ginfies hanging off you at all times.

The book provided a picture of a rather naked Ginfy and Rose couldn't honestly see the attraction. She'd gone through the human race's slow acceptance of gay, interracial and transgender marriages (well and truly accepted by the year 6800) and the realization they weren't alone in the universe (5992). The discovery they were sexually compatible with aliens (6743) and the first alien marriage (7298, a man named Fred to a Venusian beauty). It had then taken almost forty centuries for the government of Earth to finally just let the human race go for it and have sex with whomever and whatever it wanted to, opening both borders and marriages to anything.

It was during a particularly descriptive paragraph on Ginfy sex rituals that the Doctor knocked on her door. Habit led her to yell for him to come in and he was suddenly standing just inside her doorway saying, "Morning Rose!"

She quickly stuffed the book under a pillow, successfully shutting down the hologram. "Hi!" Her voice was a little higher than she would have liked but she managed a smile nonetheless. "What's on for today?"

He hesitated for a moment, torn between wanting to tell her his plans and asking her about whatever it was she was hiding from him. He opted for he first option, knowing the second could lead someplace he didn't want to go. "I need to pop back into the market for some food supplies and I thought we could check out their equivalent of Wall Street."

She smiled, but not her usual smile. "Yeah, um," she paused for a moment, "I might just stay here for a while, got some stuff to do for another few hours. Go ahead without me."

The Doctor's face fell faster than a meteorite. "Okay, suit yourself. I'll see how long I take and come back in three, four hours, okay?" He managed to keep his voice cheerful and bouncy but even Rose couldn't miss the look of shock he'd taken on at her rejection.

She just nodded, and he wandered off down the corridor. She felt bad for ditching him for a book, but she couldn't have been more than half way through and she'd seen the marketplace yesterday. She cursed under her breath as she pulled it back out; she knew perfectly well she was only still reading it because she was looking for a particular fact.

And yet another chapter. I believe this marks the quarter way mark. Keep the feedback up, it's really great.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title** Mercurial Rhythm

**Chapter** Seven

**Rating** T

**Summary** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.

**Pairings/Spoilers** The Doctor(9)/Rose and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N** Thanks to saganamidreams for the betaing. Thanks to everyone for reviews, its been great

**Chapter Seven**

Shortly after the Doctor's somewhat gloomy departure, Jack poked his head around her door. Jack never knocked, just opened the door and looked in.

"Hi."

He didn't wait for an invitation, just wandered in to stand beside her bed. Rose noticed Jack looked cheekier than he had any right to look and suddenly it dawned on her that he must have been the one to leave the book on her bed.

She threw a pillow at him as hard as she could; he caught it and perched on her bed, sticking his hand out, grabbing the book and reopening the hologram. "Ginfies?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered curtly. "Beyond your time."

He scanned back to the pictures. "Yeah, but I can understand the interest." Rose just sighed, "So how far does this go?" Jack asked.

"I dunno, four hundred thousand, I think."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "But you've got the point now?"

"What point? It's very interesting, but I don't really see the point." Even then she could feel herself lying, a little to Jack, a lot to herself.

He just sighed, frustrated, and changed topic, "The Doc says you're not coming out today? Too interested in your little book, not that he knows that, he thinks you're bored with him. Rather horrible of you though, looks like he's just been told someone died."

She huffed. "How could I ever get bored of him?"

Dropping the book carelessly on the floor, she stood, intending to kick Jack out and get changed to go with them. Her interest in the book was quickly diminishing as she began to realize just why she'd been given it, and that her fascination with it was likely caused by the same reason.

Jack had no intention of letting her avoid the subject, and he grabbed her wrist, holding her immobile She made a half-hearted attempt to pull away, but gave up when he showed no sign of letting go.

"If someone with a better space ship turned up and offered to take you with him on better adventures, would you go?" he asked seriously, intent on her reply.

Rose looked incredulous and refused to answer.

Jack just upped the intensity, eyes locked with hers Uncomfortable, she quickly replied, "No, of course not."

"How come?"

"I dunno, 'cause I'd have no idea who he was."

"As far as I can tell, you had no idea who the Doctor was and you went with him."

Rose pouted, "That was different." Jack raised an eyebrow. "Well, he had just saved the world."

He just shook his head. "Okay," he said, changing tact. "What's more important: the adventures, or the man you have them with?"

This was quickly turning into the conversation she'd escaped from the day before. "It's about the adventures, seeing the universe, but, I mean, obviously I have to like him, and I have to trust him. But, the adventures would still be just as fantastic with someone else, provided they were reasonable people and I trusted them too." She was babbling now, figuring if she just kept talking Jack would give up.

Jack just grinned, and that could only be bad for Rose. "But you do admit that he's probably completely unique in the universe?"

Rose's half smile faded. "He is unique," she said quietly. "He's the last of his species. The rest are all dead." She looked up at Jack, whose grin faded at the sorrow in her eyes, and he unconsciously brushed his thumb across her wrist, offering comfort.

"Not what I meant." And it wasn't; he didn't want her to be sad, he just wanted her to admit to what she felt. If he'd had any doubts, the wounded expression in her eyes would have erased them. "As a person, you'd say he was unique."

"Everyone's unique," she replied stubbornly.

"And another thing, before you said you couldn't ever get bored of him, shouldn't that have been you could never get bored of the adventures, if the man who takes you doesn't actually matter?" he feigned confusion, deliberately lightening the mood.

"I did not say that," she protested, letting a smile show through, but she wasn't sure, and his grip wasn't getting any looser.

Suddenly needing to move, to shake loose the emotions Jack was setting off in her, she grabbed another pillow and hit him hard on the side. He flinched and laughed but still didn't let her go. "Oi," she yelled and tried to wrench herself free, only succeeding in pulling him down on top of her.

He erupted into gleeful laughter as he kept hold of her wrist and did nothing to remove himself. He was heavier and just let himself become a dead weight, half on top of her and half hanging off the end of her bed.

She yelped and wedged a leg between them in the hope of either kicking him off or kicking him somewhere that would make him move. He wormed his other hand between them and tickled her side, Much to his amusement, he found that she was incredibly ticklish. She screamed and giggled, begging for him to stop and still trying to somehow kick him off.

Suddenly he stopped laughing and tickling and her head fell back in exhaustion. She glimpsed the Doctor's shocked look, a mumbled, "Sorry, heard screaming," and watched as he walked off.

Jack was off her in a second. "Oh, shit," was all he could say.

"What?"

"He's gonna kill me." Jack's voice was quiet, tinged with despair and just a touch of fear.

"Why is he going to kill you, I might kill you, but I don't see why he would." Rose rolled over and sat up, pulling her camisole back down and blushing a shade darker.

"Are you kidding?" Jack turned on her. "You really don't see those, 'don't touch her cause she's mine' looks he gives to everything within fifty feet of you? And now he thinks we were…"

His voice trailed off as he imagined all the possible inferences the Doctor could have made and all the ways he could end up dead as a result of them. "Oh fuck."

He started pacing while Rose just sat there looking shocked. "He didn't think we were doing anything. That'd just be stupid."

Jack glared at her again. "Rose, for a man that possessive, we could have been i holding hands /i and he would have decided there was a steamy, mad affair going on."

He blinked, suddenly struck by a thought. "Then again, having seen you two holding hands and I can sort of understand why he'd think that." Rose blushed and he paused. "But that's not the point. He's going to kill me."

"He didn't think that, and, even if he did, it's not really his business."

"Oh god, no, Rose." He waited until she was looking at him. "Rose, you have to go and explain exactly what was going on."

She considered for a moment, staring at him hard. "Fine, on one condition, you stop talking about," she searched for the right words, "this thing that's between me and him. Okay?"

Jack didn't really have to think about it for long, choosing between his life and setting her up for some good sex, he knew exactly where his priorities lay. "Fine, fine, no more talk about you and the Doctor, just make sure he understands that there is nothing sexual between us."

She smiled, got up off the bed, found a pair of tracksuit pants and pulled them on over her shorts. She pushed Jack out the door in front of her and, walking a lot slower than Jack would have liked, went off in search of the Doctor.

Jack, still feeling rather disgruntled, ran off to his room where he hoped he would still find his gun.

Just in case.

See how quickly I update when i get pretty comments...hint hint.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Mercurial Rhythm  
**Chapter:** Eight  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** The Doctor, Rose and Jack stop on a planet for little bit of shopping but what starts out as an innocent expedition ends up being a trip full of a lot of interesting conversations…okay, someone else write my summary for me.  
**Pairings/Spoilers:** The Doctor(9)/Rose and takes place just after The Doctor Dances

**A/N:** Thanks to **saganamidreams** for the betaing. Thanks to everyone for reviewing .

**Chapter Eight**

Rose suspected the TARDIS was deliberately making her search for the Doctor as difficult as possible. She checked the console room, the library, the kitchen, her room, wandered the corridors, opened every door she came across and found no trace of him. She was beginning to think he might have escaped to the market when it occurred to her there was one place she hadn't tried – his room.

Her nerve failed her and she'd decided to find Jack and tell him the deal was off when, rounding a corner, she found herself staring at the Doctor's bedroom door. It was closed.

It was always closed, she'd never seen inside.

This had irked her - every time she attempted to get inside he'd managed to find somewhere else they needed to be. It all seemed a bit unfair since he was quite happy to wander into her room, comfortable sitting on the end of her bed, knocking on her door in the morning and, on occasion, scrambling through her stuff looking for something or other.

She wavered momentarily and then, thinking of Jack, knocked on the door. The hard metal made a soft thudding noise as her knuckles struck it; she waited a few seconds before hitting it harder.

The Doctor answered, his face unreadable, bare-foot and without his jacket. All three were circumstances foreign to Rose and they stood staring at each other for several seconds longer than was needed.

"What?" 

Rose jumped as his voice cut through the air, flat and empty, the warm tone normally present when he spoke to her utterly absent. 

"Um, I need to talk to you. About Jack."

The ripple of darkness that washed over his face, coloring his eyes bluer in its wake, told her that perhaps Jack's worry wasn't completely unfounded. She hesitated for a moment, but then telling herself not to be so stupid, smiled and went to push past him.

Suddenly his hand was on her upper arm, but it was harsh and impersonal, pushing her away from him and out of the doorway. "No," he said rather more firmly than was necessary since his hand was speaking volumes.

As the Doctor's hand dropped, Rose stopped being confused and started being angry. "I just want to talk. And I thought it would be more comfortable in there than out here."

Glancing over his shoulder, the Doctor wondered which of his options was best. He knew what he'd seen, Jack was going after Rose and he was going after her fast and hard. She was an attractive woman and Jack was an attractive man; it was bound to happen. He just wished he hadn't seen it happen because he'd spent the night before convincing himself that when it did happen, he wouldn't see it and that he'd already have an excuse to kick Jack off the TARDIS. Possibly somewhere he'd be devoured by ravenous dogs. It was not supposed to happen over-night.

Now here was Rose, wanting to talk; explain herself, no doubt. Tell him that she had needs and she needed a boyfriend and Jack was nice enough, why didn't he approve, etc., etc., and so on and so forth. It was one thing when she collected pathetic strays like Adam, they had no future, no fixed place in Rose's affection, but Jack was different. He could see that already. Despite his galactic playboy image, there was something solid at his core. Something that could catch and hold Rose, putting her beyond his reach.

Well, he couldn't deal with it, not right now and definitely not with her looking like that and definitely not in his bedroom. It was taking every ounce of his considerable self-control not to shout at the sheer effrontery of the situation – to be on the verge of losing something he had only just realized it would kill him to lose.

Rose suddenly whacked him on the chest, exclaiming, "Hey! If you're just going to ignore me, I'll be off." Realizing he'd been silent for an unreasonable amount of time, and may in fact have screwed his eyes shut, he let out a frustrated sigh. She turned and began to walk away. He couldn't her go like this. If this was how their future was going to unfold, Jack and Rose becoming Jack-and-Rose, he'd hear her out.

He grabbed her arm again, with less care than he'd usually exhibit, and hauled her into his bedroom. He quickly came to the conclusion that perhaps he should have taken this conversation elsewhere. Rose was standing in the middle of his room, flushed and vulnerable, and he was suddenly grateful his hand was wrapped around her upper arm and not entwined with her own.

In pursuit of that distance he shoved her indelicately towards the chair. Before sitting down she swept the navy jumper tossed across it into her hands, kneading and rolling it in unconscious movements. He perched on the edge of his bed, deliberately ignoring the movements of her fingers and the effect it was having on him.

Determined to return a bit of his own game, Rose took her time gazing around the room. He really was very messy: jumpers casually discarded over floor and bed, amazing as she thought he only owned one; the sleek black sheets on the solid four poster bed messy and tangled; drawers with unidentifiable things poking out and the deep leather chair in which she was sitting. It was very masculine and surprisingly enough very him. Glancing upwards, still avoiding his gaze, an incredulous gasp escaped her.

Where the ceiling should have been was a swirl of lights and stars, like the pictures she'd seen of the Aurora Borealis. As she stared up at it, enraptured, the stars began to seem familiar; she was struck with a sudden certainty that this was the Northern Lights she was looking at.

The Doctor could go anywhere in space and time, collect beauty and wonder from anywhere, yet he still kept returning to the Earth. Drawn, for some unknown reason, to the human race. She wondered why. An inquiring cough brought her attention back to the object of her thoughts. Sitting on the edge of his bed as if he would launch himself forward at any moment, the Doctor was staring at her, communicating his exaggerated patience quite clearly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Meeting his eyes, she began to try and explain. "Look, Jack thought that…" she faltered as she saw his jaw clench and his hands grip the edge of the bed. "It's just that, before, it wasn't what it looked like."

"What, and Jack thought it would be a good idea for you to come and tell me that?" Sarcasm wasn't something she associated with the Doctor, but he'd obviously picked the skill up somewhere.

"No, that's what _actually _happened.Jack thought it was important you should know." He nodded, obviously waiting for her to leave and looking thoroughly unconvinced. She wasn't quite finished; that he could think she would lie to him, about anything but especially about something so obviously important, was unraveling a deep coil of anger within her. "You really think I'd fool around with someone I'd only just met?"

"It doesn't really matter what I think, does it? It matters what you do. Rose, I've been around a while, I know exactly what I saw, and that's fine. Just don't come running to me when it turns out that he's another Adam."

She felt like giving him a good slap. His obvious anger seemed to indicate that Jack's theories had some truth to them. She persevered, knowing this was too important to let go; she had to make him believe her. "We were just mucking about." Okay, maybe that didn't come out right.

He leapt to his feet, stalking around the room briefly before throwing himself back down. She tried again. "I didn't mean it like that. Just, give me a sec." She gathered her thoughts, trying to plan how to clearly spell out what had happened. "We weren't doing anything, we were just chatting and we had…a disagreement and it sort of ended up with him pinning me to the bed." Something unfathomable moved deep in his eyes; it would have been frightening if she's been anyone other than Rose.

She hurriedly rushed to finish, opting to be blunt in order to prevent any more misunderstandings. "But it had nothing to do with sex or anything like it, okay?" _Uh uh_, she thought, it did have something to do with sex, just not sex with Jack.

Closing her eyes she began to think she shouldn't have gone for blunt. She'd put the word out there and it seemed to be settling over the two of them, the weird vibe between them taking on a distinctly darker feel. She closed her eyes tight, hoping that when she opened them he wouldn't be looking at her like that, dark eyes clouded and stormy with anger and still with that indefinable _something _in their depths.

She couldn't sit there in the Doctor's room with her eyes shut. Opening them, she saw his gaze hadn't changed. The anger she'd let go started to seep back into her, fuelled by the tingling of nerves traveling up her spine. She'd told him what had happened, she'd never lied to him before, ever.

Clenching her hands in the cloth of the jumper, she ground out, "Why am I even explaining myself to you?" Tilting her head sideways and peering at him through a fall of blonde hair, she felt suddenly calm. "Why do you even care? You've got no right to be looking into who I sleep with."

His jaw tightened and she could see the muscles jump under his skin. But she didn't stop – something had hold of her now, driving her to keep pushing him. She had to know if Jack was right. "You're not my boyfriend either so you've got no excuse to be acting like this; like," she leaned forward, emphasizing her words, "like you're jealous."

His face was suddenly wiped clean, empty, no emotion showing except in his eyes. They were still dark but they'd changed and she knew she'd hit the right chord. Oh god. Jack _had_ been right.

"Is that it? You're jealous?" Her voice was curious, calm; a direct counterpoint to the waves of emotion she could feel rolling over her body like heat. She was answered by silence. "Why?" She kept pushing, unable and unwilling to let it go.

Holding her gaze, trapping her, he attempted to convince her of his sincerity. "I'm jealous? I don't know what you're talking about." He could lie with his voice, but his eyes were screaming the truth, his body unconsciously leaning towards her. Was this it then? Was this the point where she found out how he felt and made a mad dash for the nearest planet? Why was she doing this? Faintly, in the back of his mind, it finally registered that maybe she had been telling the truth, maybe there was nothing between her and Jack and he'd over-reacted.

"Come on," she asked, teasingly, deliberately light, her eyes dancing. "What could possibly make a Time Lord jealous of a petty little ape?"

"Rose…" It was a warning and it sounded like one, coming out as a deep growl. If she just walked away right now, they could pretend it never happened.

She shivered, her instincts screaming at her. Hollering at her to get out, to run, that this had just become dangerous. But she pitted her certainty, her belief and her trust against her instincts and stayed where she was.

"Why won't you just tell me? I wanna know."

He swallowed, and the tingle up her spine turned into a shiver. This was rapidly spiraling out of her control; the emotions, the intensity between them tangible as they stared at each other in silence. The possibility now seemed a probability, that he saw something in her he responded to, that drew him in. He'd growled at her, actually growled, a primal passionate sound. His eyes had never been a darker shade of blue. She realized she was staring at him, tongue trapped between her teeth. His gaze sharpened, focusing on it.

Rose opened her mouth to say something, anything, whatever came into her head. She wanted a reaction, wanted to force this stalemate they seemed to be locked in. Suddenly he was up and with three stride was standing at his door, holding it open. His voice harsh and strained, he snapped, "This conversation's over. Get out."

Sorry, the update took so long. The entire story (22 chapters) is finished. So the updates will be much quicker.


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